February 2012

February 28, 2012

Purchased in 1975 at Sak's Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills, this dress was worn by the donor to a family wedding. After the wedding, it was packed away and never worn again. In 2007, the original wearer donated it to the FIDM Museum. Consisting of two layers of pale, bias-cut, silk chiffon over a silk crepe slip, the dress is in excellent condition. The silhouette is deceptively demure, with thigh-high slits at each side of the skirt creating unexpected drama. The rounded shape of the hem is echoed in the sleeves, of which the lower portion was left unstitched to create a petal effect. Throughout the garment, picot edge seams are held together with hand-sewn stitches spaced 1/2 inch apart.

February 25, 2012

Exhibition design encompasses every element of an exhibition. Paint colors, platform shapes, cases, lighting, traffic flow and many other elements work together to support and enhance the narrative created by the objects on display. At the FIDM Museum, we are fortunate to have a full-time exhibition designer on staff. A graduate of the FIDM Visual Communications program, Horacio Avila designs FIDM Museum & Galleries exhibitions and visual displays for the FIDM Los Angeles campus. Horacio works closely with our curators to create the look and feel of all FIDM Museum exhibitions.

The gallery itself is 8,000 square feet. If you've ever been to an exhibition at the FIDM Museum, you'll know that we generally divide the gallery into three distinct sections. You might be surprised to know that most of our interior walls are not integral to the gallery--they are built and removed depending on the needs of the current exhibition. The only real limitation on Horacio's exhibition design is the height of the gallery ceiling. Horacio and his crew fabricate nearly everything in-house; when in the midst of building an exhibition, Horacio's workshop is incredibly busy. From platforms to cases, they build it all.

In our current exhibition, the 20th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design, visitors are greeted by a wall of film posters and The White Queen's costume from Alice In Wonderland. Rounding the corner, visitors encounter a visual feast: costumes ranging over a large platform that fills nearly the entire gallery space. Selections from our collection of classic film costumes fill cases around the outside of the gallery. If you caught FABULOUS!, you might remember these cases. Horacio designed them for FABULOUS! and they were re-purposed for the current Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition. In this image, costume designer Julie Weiss examines a bonnet designed by Adrian for the 1940 film Pride and Prejudice.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, Hugo takes place inside a 1930s Paris train station. The film tells the tale of Hugo, a young orphan who lives a hidden life inside the nooks and crannies of the bustling station. Though only a child, Hugo gradually unravels a mystery involving his father, a magnificent automation and a cinematic pioneer. Hugo is nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including a nomination for Best Costume Design.

An accomplished costume designer, Powell has costumed over 30 films and been awarded 3 Oscars. The FIDM Museum has exhibited many of Powell's costumes, including her costume designs for The Tempest (2010) and The Aviator (2004). In 2009, we exhibited costumes from The Young Victoria (2009), the film that earned Powell her most recent Academy Award for costume design.

Hugo is based on the illustrated novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Did you consult the book or its illustrations when designing costumes for the film?

The book was constantly referred to by everyone in every department on the film. Although I didn't ever copy anything exactly from the illustrations, they served as inspiration for the feeling and tone of the whole look and helped differentiate the characters.

February 16, 2012

Full disclosure: I'm a big fan of Bonnie Cashin. Though I admire an elegant evening gown as much as anyone, I appreciate Cashin's interest in creating a wardrobe that suited the everyday activities of twentieth-century women. Within this framework, Cashin designed clothing that was functional, but never boring. Her use of diverse textiles (patterned wool tweeds, jersey, leather, suede) and unusual fastenings give her straightforward silhouettes an inventive appeal. In Cashin's own words: "It's much easier to design a fancy style than a simple one, but I try to avoid it because when it comes to wearing it, you really don't want things that are fussy. All are lives are too complicated to put up with that sort of thing in clothes."1

We are delighted to announce that the 20th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition is now open to the public! Check your calendar and plan a visit to see over 100 costumes from 20 films released in 2011. On exhibit are costumes from Anonymous, The Artist, Hugo, Jane Eyre, W.E., The Help, Immortals, My Week With Marilyn and many other films. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this much-anticipated annual event, we are also exhibiting selected costumes worn by stars of the silver screen. Don't miss the green velvet bonnet Adrian designed for Pride and Prejudice (1940), Fred Astaire's tap shoes, Marlene Dietrich's 1950s Delman evening shoes, or Mae West's corset! These are only some of the classic costumes currently on exhibit at the FIDM Museum.

Until you have a chance to see the exhibition in person, take a sneak peek (after the jump) at the 2012 Academy Award® nominees for Best Costume Design. Enjoy!

February 10, 2012

The 20th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition opens next week! This year's exhibition showcases over 100 costumes from 20 films released in 2011. What's more, we're also featuring a selection of classic costumes from both the FIDM Museum collection and the Department of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles, Historic Hollywood Collection. The exhibition runs from February 14th through April 28th and is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. As always, the exhibition is FREE. Information on booking a guided tour of the exhibition can be found here.

During the run of the exhibition, look forward to a series of blog posts about objects and costume designers featured in the exhibition. First up, a pair of Delman evening shoes worn by Marlene Dietrich. As the label on the insole indicates, these shoes were made "Especially For Marlene Dietrich." Eye and light-catching, we believe these glittering heels were worn by Dietrich during one of her popular 1950s nightclub appearances.

February 08, 2012

Gunne Sax's aesthetic has been described as feminine, nostalgic, Victorian, old world and romantic. Though the brand is now closely associated with formal and bridal wear, its origins date back to late '60s San Francisco. In 1969, San Francisco boutique Gunne Sax needed a house designer. Enter Jessica McClintock, an elementary school teacher with a life-long interest in fashion. When a friend told McClintock of the opening at Gunne Sax, she applied immediately. In a testament to the freewheeling spirit of 1960s San Francisco, McClintock was hired despite her lack of formal training in fashion design or clothing manufacture. In the beginning, McClintock designed small collections of about 20 garments. Within a few months the San Francisco department store I. Magnin started retailing Gunne Sax dresses. The mood of Gunne Sax was based on McClintock's personal vision: "I brought to [Gunne Sax] my own concept of clothing based on romance--nostalgia created by a mixture of prints, ribbons, laces, muslins and braids. It was 1969, the "mini" era was ending, and the Gunne Sax "Country," "Edwardian," and "Prairie" era was beginning."1

February 03, 2012

Wearing historically accurate dress, inside and out, Kevin Jones and Christina Johnson recently attended the Jane Austen Evening in Pasadena, CA. Sponsored by the Society for Manners & Merriment, this annual event consists of dancing, refreshments and entertainment in the spirit of Jane Austen’s era. Aside from enjoying an evening out, Kevin and Christina had a serious mission: field research for FIDM Museum's Fall 2013 Empire & Romantic exhibition, which will focus on the years 1800-1835. The lifetime of celebrated author Jane Austen (1775-1817) coincides with this era, so the Jane Austen Evening was the perfect opportunity for Kevin and Christina to kick-off their research.

This photo captures Kevin and Christina in their reproduction ensembles. Christina wears a gown of plum silk based on a French fashion plate and flat leather dancing slippers with ribbon ties. Kevin wears a white shirt and cravat, fall front breeches, waistcoat (vest) and dress coat. Their ensembles were designed by Mela Hoyt-Heydon, friend of the FIDM Museum, union costume designer for the entertainment industry and faculty member at Fullerton College Theatre Arts Department. Most of the costume elements were designed by Mela for a stage production of Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice.

After attending the Jane Austen Evening, Kevin understands why gentlemen of Jane Austen's era always brought a change of linens to Assemblies: dancing is a cardio workout! Also, it's tiring to keep your arms in the proper dance position all evening. Christina learned that wearing a corset greatly improves a lady's deportment, and that fans are necessary after an evening of dancing in a packed ballroom.

Stay tuned for occasional updates as Kevin and Christina develop themes and select objects for this 2013 exhibition. They’re on the hunt for enlightening resources describing the dress and society of 1800-1835. If you know of something useful, send us your suggestions!

February 01, 2012

The 1931 Paris Exposition Coloniale Internationale was designed to showcase the artistic and cultural achievements of France's colonial possessions, while also demonstrating the mutual benefits of the colonial relationship. At the time of the Exposition, France's expansive colonial empire was second in size only to Britain's; by the 1930s, France and its colonies occupied "9.3 percent of the inhabited landmasses of the world."1 With colonies in Africa, south Asia, Oceania, and the Caribbean, French political rule and cultural influence affected nearly every corner of the globe. Opening in May 1931, the Colonial Exposition brought the arts, architecture and people of France's colonies to Paris for a six-month stay. A correspondent for American Vogue visited the Exposition and described it as being akin to a trip around the world: "you are suddenly transplanted to far colonial lands--to jungles of Africa, to palaces of Angkor, into whole villages of Congo huts, to Chinese temples."2 The Exposition was widely covered in the international press and very popular; over 33 million visitors, from France and beyond, attended the Exposition.